Libertarians usually assume that even people who seem eager to limit the freedom of others at least want it for themselves; I wonder whether that’s really the case in “Save Me From Myself!”
New at Reason
July 13th, 2005 · 5 Comments
Tags: Self Promotion
5 responses so far ↓
1 Brian Moore // Jul 13, 2005 at 2:29 pm
Well, if we could get the laws to only apply to those people, then that would be great!
We could distribute badges to them that said “please make decisions for me” and the bars would have signs that said “only fully functional citizens may smoke.” Only this class of people, who volunteer away their rights, would be affected by such laws.
The rest of humanity that doesn’t feel like weak-kneed half-wits could go on making their decisions as they saw fit.
2 Jon Lucks // Jul 13, 2005 at 11:08 pm
This is the kind of thing that does make the idea of ‘libertarian authoritarianism’ sound pretty tempting, in all seriousness.
3 Jim Bob // Jul 15, 2005 at 4:41 pm
Being addicted to cigarettes limits one’s freedom. Restricting their consumption therefore increases personal freedom.
Libertarians are presumptuous for assuming that they care more about freedom than others, when in fact they simply subscribe to a narrow and intellectually impoverished idea of freedom that was justly discarded by most intellectuals in the 19th century.
For good reason you are not taken seriously by the American electorate.
4 Paul Zrimsek // Jul 15, 2005 at 10:31 pm
…. a narrow and intellectually impoverished idea of freedom that was justly discarded by most intellectuals in the 19th century.
With the results we saw in the 20th century.
5 Julian Sanchez // Jul 16, 2005 at 11:52 am
“Being addicted to cigarettes limits one’s freedom. Restricting their consumption therefore increases personal freedom.”
Forgive me if I’m not stung by charges of being simplistic from anyone who thinks this is an interesting or insightful point.